James d



( OM0de1.)'

. D. BI OP MAGHI OR-GO RING GABLES.

No. 450,131. Patented Apr. 14, 1891.

2 \it a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES D. BISHOP, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR COVERING CABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,131, dated April14, 1891.

Application filed December 6, i890. Serial No. 373,739. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may conccrm' Be it known that I, JAMES D. BISHOP, asubject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at New York, in thecounty of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements inMachines for Govering Cables; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilledinthe art to whichitappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of machinescommonly employed in making lead tubing, and is more particularlydesigned for use in covering electrical conductors or cables with .aprotective sheath of lead.

The object of the invent-ion is to remedy defects inherent in theconstruction of machines of this character as hitherto made and used. Itis the usual practice in machines of this character to place a pair ofblocks of iron or steel, divided in a horizontal plane and suitablyperforated for the carriage of the conductor through thecovering-chamber and the admission of-metal thereto, between a fixedplunger and the movable ram of a hydraulic press. The blocks are broughtinto intimate connection by means of bolts; but by reason of theenormous pressure brought to bear and the flexnre and expansion of theparts under the heat at which the operation is conducted it is almostimpossible to pre vent the lead from forcing its way into the seam atthe plane of division of theblocks, thus creating irregularities in thethickness and cross-section of thelead covering. The pressure of thelead amounts to hundreds of tons,

to resistwhich the core-bar must be provided with a long seat, the fitof which must be almost absolutely perfect or the lead will find its wayinto the interstices between the bar and the block; It must also be ofsufficient cross-section to resist the pressure of the lead withoutfieXure, which would result in an irregular cross-section of the leadtube. The perfect adjustment of apparatus to meet all these requirementsrequires a perfection of workmanship difficult, if not impossible, tomaintain in constant exactitude. Besides this the enormous increase ofstrain, due to the heat of gas-blasts on the outer surface to maintainthe lead in a condition fit for working, results in a distortion of adjustmentbetween the die and core-bar, further intensifying irregularitiesin the pipe-covering created by the other causes above mentioned. Onecause of these difficulties in machines as ordinarily constructed isthat they offer the least resistance in the line of greatest force. Itis therefore the prime object of my invention to produce a machine inwhich a maximum resistance will be offered in the line of greateststrain.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the parts that thestrain, instead of, as hitherto, tending to disturb their relation byforcing them asunder and thereby distorting their adjustment, shall, onthe contrary, tend to bind them closer together and insure uniformity ofadjustment irrespective of the amount of strain.

To these ends my invention consists in binding the separable partsconstituting the walls of the chamber containing the die and core-bar byremovable bands or rings adjustable with reference to the wall, so as tomaintain the several parts in close engagement.

My invention also consists in giving a conical or tapering shape to theexterior surface of the assembled sections forming the chamber andproviding a confining band or bands co-operating therewith by aninteriorly-tapering surface. I

The invention further consists in placing these tapering cooperatingsurfaces with their axial line parallel to the direction of pressure, sothat the pressure serves to lock the parts more firmly and intimatelytogether.

My invention also comprises details of structure which will hereinafterbe particularly described, and definitely indicated in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure isa cross-section of part bf a press provided with my improvements. Fig. 2is a central section of the covering-chamber and con [ining-rin gs on aplane at right angles to that indicated in. Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section of Fig. 1 on the line a: as.

l, 2, and 3 represent parts of a hydraulic press as used in lead-pipemaking, the construction of which is so well known as to require nofurther description. The parts at and 5, which I term the center pieces,are constructed so as to fit accurately together, one part bein gprovided with a circular ridge 6 and the other part with the circulardepression 7, so located as to bring the two center pieces into accurateadjustment when the ridge 6 lies within the recess 7. When so assembled,the two center pieces form the walls of a forming-chamber. In the piece5 is seated thecore-bar 8, capable of being adjusted by means of a screwco-operating with a threaded opening in the piece 5. The outward orinward adjustment of the core-bar varies the thickness of the lead pipeformed between it and the die 9, formed in the wall of the other centerpiece 4. The exterior surface of the center pieces when assembled iscone-shaped, the axial line of the cone being parallel with thedirection of pressure. A conical seat is provided for the center piecesin one or more steel or iron bands 10 11, two bands preferably beingused, provided with a flaring orifice at their surface of junctionadapted to admit the unleaded conductor to and lead the leaded conductorfrom the coveri ng-chamber. The co-operating surfaces of thecenter-pieces are planed perfectly true, so as to bring them intointimate contact. The center piece 5 ispreferably made larger than thecenter piece t to permit a recess to be formed therein, constituting areceptacle for the lead, and passages communicating between saidreceptacle and the reservoir 12 of metal. This chamber is indicated at13, a tongue of metal 14 projecting from the body of the piece lyingover the core-bar, so as to compel an equal flow of lead to each side ofthe core-bar and forming the conduits or channels 15 16, through whichthe lead passes to the formin g-chamber.

As illustrated in the drawings, only the core-bar is shown adj ust-able,though it will be evident that the die might also be made adjustable.Either or both can be made adjustable, as desired, this being a merestructural detail which may be varied at the will of the designer. Inassembling the parts for operation the core-bar is first adjusted to thethickness of pipe required. The centers are then placed face to face anddropped into the confining bands or rings.

In order to secure a tightfit between the top of the centers and thebottom of the leadreservoir, I preferto bevel the adjoining faces ofeach, as shown in the drawings; or, if the top of the centers lies belowthe upper surface of the confining-bands, the latter may be beveled toco-operate with the walls of the reservoir.

' It will be evident from the structure hereinbefore described that thegreater the pressure upon the parts the closer they will be squeezedtogether and the less will be the chance for distortion or change of adjustment. This is just the reverse of what takes place in the old styleof machines, where the lines of greatest force are at right angles tothe line of least resistance, and therefore the tendency of the pressureis to open out and distort the blocks. To meet this difficulty in theold machines, the parts were locked together by bolts, the parts beintooperation, the pressure of the lead will automatically accomplish such aresult.

lVhen it is desired to dismount or change the dies, the whole is removedfrom the press, the upper band, with the centers therein, is taken offfrom the lower one, the upper band is then reversed, and the centerswill fall outif the end of the lead pipe just made is cut off close tothe die-center 4, which may be very easily done. The conical section ofthe die and the location of the orifice formed by the bands so as to liepartly on one band aud'partly on the other render this a matter of easyaccomplishment.

The construction herein described renders the machine efficient inaction, economical in first cost, insures a lightness of the parts,enabling them to be very readily handled, insures uniformity in thethickness of the pipe produced, and relieves the operator from the greatcare necessary with machines as heretofore constructed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Means for forming pipe or similar tubular articles, comprising a boxor formingchamber composed of separable sections bound together byremovable bands encircling the sections in planes transverse to theplane of division.

2. A pipe press provided with a forming box or chamber composed ofseparable sections havinga tapering exterior surface .and bound togetherby a confining ring orringsprovided with tapering interior walls toreceive the sections, the parts being assembled so that the plane ofdivision of the sections is in the direction of pressure.

3. A pipe-press provided with a forming box or chamber composed ofseparable sections bound together by removable bands encircling thesections transversely to the plane of division, the sections beingprovided with an interlocking connection to prevent relativedisplacement.

4. A pipe-press provided with a forming box or chamber composed ofseparable sections bound together by removable bands encircling thesections transversely to the channels for guiding the metal equally toeach I0 side of the core-bar.

1 In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES D. BISHOP.

Witnesses:

HENRY R. STREHMEL, E. G. GRIGG.

